This invention relates to an automatic method and device for planting balled seedlings grown in container trays.
A planting machine is presented in patent publication FR No. 2432265, capable of planting seedlings grown in containers with an open bottom. The containers are placed on edge with the container bottoms facing the front. The balled seedling is removed from the container by pushing it through the container mouth onto a horizontal planting table where it is taken hold of by special pliers. After this the planting table and pliers are turned down into a vertical position where the pliers open, dropping the seedling onto the ground.
The problem with the above device is its complex construction and unreliable operation. The pliers have to take hold of the seedling with considerable force at the acceleration stage in order to hold it securely. As a result, the pliers may easily break the balled seedling if the root system is not sufficiently developed to bind the ball with enough strength. Thick shoots may also cause feeding problems. At the point when the seedlings are being pushed out, thick shoots become entangled and tilt, with the result that the pliers fail to take hold of them or the seedlings drop onto the ground lopsided. On the other hand, the ascending pliers may knock the shoots and push the seedling out of the planting table.
The aim of this invention is to achieve a simple and reliable automatic planting device for planting balled seedlings direct from containers.